Pull Me in Gently

Chapter 6

It was now the middle of March and Izumi felt like she was still being pulled in eight million different directions. Her schoolwork had slowed down a small amount but she was still tutoring Itachi and pretending she wasn't in love with him. On top of that it seemed like her best friend was increasingly more and more MIA when Izumi needed her most.

She tried her best to pay attention to the redhead in front of her but she really needed to study. She did not want to think about ballroom dance for as long as possible and Sasori was making it increasingly more difficult. When had her fun class become the source of all her stress and drama? Oh, right. When she fell in love by accident.

"I'll text you later about the meeting place. Apparently Deidara was thinking that we should do a double dance practice. So we can give each other some pointers on our dances and such. It's not a half bad idea for an idiot." Sasori readjusted his backpack after stuffing a book in it. Izumi ran into him by accident outside of the business building.

"That sounds just fine. I'd really like to get some pointers from them and maybe practice the Paso with Deidara because I am just not getting it." Izumi looked at Sasori who suddenly appeared very grumpy. "No no no, it has nothing to do with you. I just know that Keiko is getting it almost perfect and since Deidara dances with her he will have a better time assessing what I'm messing up with."

Sasori nodded. "Fair enough. I've gotta head to the theater now to do some hours in the puppet lab. See ya!"

"Have fun!"

Izumi sighed as she sank deeper into the over stuffed couch she found in the business building. There was hardly anyone here on Thursdays since the classes were fewer and the majority of the business students were off networking for the weekend already. The couch she found was in a secluded nook right next to a giant window that overlooked the courtyard below. It was a little bit of heaven on earth.

Her geography textbook was open and she was trying to memorize all the countries in Africa for a test she had that weekend. Her brain was fried and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and fall asleep. Then maybe she wouldn't have to think about Africa, ballroom dance, or Itachi.

The couch shifted to her right and she turned to see Itachi sitting next to her with a sandwich in one hand and a philosophy book in the other. He turned a page and took a bite of his food before turning and smiling at her. "Hello Izumi, I don't believe I've seen you here before. Do you study here often?"

"Not usually. Today I wanted somewhere more comfortable and less populated so I somehow ended up here. It's a nice spot though. Do you study here often?"

Itachi shook his head and took another bite of his sandwich. It was chicken salad on a croissant and Izumi could smell it from where she sat. Why did she skip lunch? "I normally study in my room at home or in our library. But today I decided to stay on campus as long as possible so I wouldn't get distracted. I also saw you sitting here and thought maybe I could join you."

"Well I'm glad you did. I needed a little bit of a mental break." Itachi laughed and turned his attention back to his book. Izumi watched him take another bite of his sandwich before she too returned to her book. She mouthed the countries as she read them and then closed her eyes and tried to remember them. She didn't notice Itachi watching her with an amused smile on his face.

"That is impressive." Izumi cracked an eye open and raised her eyebrow. "That you can remember all of those countries. You got them all right I might add."

Izumi smiled and punched the air. "Sweet! I'm gonna nail that test!" Itachi chuckled and right then Izumi's stomach started growling. She looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, I skipped lunch to study."

"No worries, do you want a bite?" Itachi tantalizingly waved his sandwich in front of her face.

"I couldn't."

"Oh come on, yes you can. I saw you eyeing it earlier." Izumi looked at him guiltily.

"Okay, one bite." She took the sandwich and took her bite. She chewed the food slowly making sure to enjoy every flavor. Itachi took it from her and bit right where she had. "That is delicious. Where did you get it?"

"Frank."

"Frank? Like my bestie the butler?"

"The very same." Itachi gave Izumi the sandwich back and without even thinking she took another bite then gave it back. "Every once and a while he makes chicken salad sandwiches for himself but makes way too much so we end up getting them for lunch, dinner, or as a snack." He took a bite and then passed it back to Izumi.

"Well, the next time I see him I am going to thank him. They are absolutely divine!" Izumi took one more bite and then handed it back to Itachi who finished it off. She seemed to realize that she had just basically eaten his sandwich. "Uh. . . sorry about that."

"It's perfectly all right. Besides, I didn't mind sharing my lunch with you." He smiled at her and she returned it. Soon they were both studying in a comfortable silence.

Izumi's geography test went perfectly and now she was perched on one of the comfy chairs in the Uchiha's library. Mikoto had decided that since Izumi was helping Itachi dance so much that once a week they could shorten practice and study in the library.

Honestly, it was one of the highlights of Izumi's week. Keiko was usually stuck studying with Hidan since he was taking similar classes or helping Rin with wedding details so Izumi liked having friends around to study with. Sasuke and his friends joined them most of the time and Itachi sometimes had some of his friends over.

Currently Izumi was sitting in-between Sasori and Kissame and Itachi sat in front of her. Next to him was Megumi, Naruto, and Sasuke. It was a rag tag group but Izumi didn't mind it. Kissame and Naruto spent a good chunk of their time teasing their best friends so it was at least entertaining.

Sasori tapped his pencil lightly as he worked on a sketch of a new puppet. There was an upcoming show in the fall that needed a lot of puppets and their department decided that each of the students should design two to be put up for consideration in the show. Izumi ignored his tapping as she typed away on her computer. Papers were a lot easier when you actually cared about the material you were writing.

Sasori sighed and she turned her head to look at him. He leaned over a little bit and slid the sketch in front of her. "What do you think?"

Izumi studied the sketch for a few minutes. The puppet had three eyes, four arms, and two legs. It was sitting so that it's head was tilted to the side and it was easy to see that his teeth were jagged. But he still looked somewhat human and that made Izumi shiver.

"Wow, I think this is the creepiest thing you have ever made." Sasori looked up from the drawing to meet Izumi's eyes. They were close enough that she could see the specks of gold lining his pupils.

"Really? The assignment was for one villain type puppet and one human type. I wasn't sure that this would really look. I was hoping that at first glance people might think he was human. That would be the scariest of all right? Something that was similar to human but not?"

Sasori looked back to the drawing for a split second and then bore his gaze back into Izumi's. He had put a lot of thought into this. This contest of sorts really meant a lot to him and Izumi could see it in the fine work he had presented.

"I honestly thought the same thing. The whole reason it's creepy to me is because of the human like quality. I think this is the best work you've ever done." Izumi smiled and Sasori smirked in response. "What are you gonna call it?"

"Not sure. But I was thinking something like Crow."

"Crow. I like it."

Sasori smiled and Izumi giggled a little. She was grateful that they had built a friendship somehow through their dance class. Sure, he was a little impatient, weirdly into puppets, and grumpy a lot of the time. But that was what made him Sasori and she loved him for that.

But there was someone else at the table that was decidedly less ecstatic about the exchange the two of them just had.

Itachi had looked up while Sasori was tapping his pencil and had seen the whole thing. He couldn't hear what they were saying since they were both whispering. But he saw how they got closer and closer as they spoke and how they gazed into his each other's eyes. Smiling, laughing. Itachi couldn't look away and something twisted uncomfortably in his gut. Was there something going on between Izumi and Sasori? No, that was impossible. But still, he had seen their immense chemistry as they danced the Rumba and it was hard to fake that kind of chemistry. Wasn't it? Sure, professionals did it all the time but Sasori and Izumi were not professionals.

Itachi tapped his fingers lightly on the arm of the chair he was sitting on as he continued to watch their exchange. What would Izumi see in Sasori anyway? The idiot was rude, impatient, always working on the world's creepiest art project, and always had a critical thing to say. There was no way that someone so sweet and loving as Izumi would be interested in someone like that. She could do a lot better.

Kisame tapped Itachi's arm and he turned to meet his friends eyes. "Dude, if you keep staring I think Megumi is going to start thinking you have a different love interest."

Itachi blinked a few times before he realized what he was doing. He was staring at Izumi and Sasori and totally fabricating an entire romance. He shook his a to clear his thoughts.

"You're quite right Kisame. I think I was just zoning out."

Kisame snorted. "You? Zone out? No way! If I didn't know any better I would think that you were looking at the two of them with jealousy."

"Kisame, that is preposterous."

"If you say so."

Kisame turned back to his textbooks and Itachi turned to hazard another glance at the people in front of him. Izumi was typing away on her computer with her earphones on and Sasori was staring right at him. A mischievous smirk graced his face as he continued tapping his pencil. Itachi schooled his face and looked back down to his book.

Why was Sasori making that face? Was there something that he knew that Itachi did not? And why was Itachi feeling like he wanted to jump over the table and wipe that look off of Sasori's face? Itachi clenched his hands in his lap to keep himself from doing anything rash as he continued his homework. He couldn't wait for tonight to be over already.

"Okay, your dance form is very important. It's not as rigid as it is for International ballroom but it is still important. You want to still look good even while you're having fun."

Sakura snickered as Izumi spoke and Sasuke tried his hardest not to roll his eyes. Izumi smirked as she watched him. He was a good sport for allowing Sakura to force him to dance.

"So, Sasuke, you'll take her right hand in your left and then your right hand will be right under her shoulder blade. Like this."

Izumi turned to Itachi who had agreed to be her dance partner, purely so he could laugh at Sasuke when he messed up, and waited for him to hold out his palm. He slowly lifted his hand and she gingerly placed hers inside. He then took his right hand and slowly slid it up her back and into place, never breaking eye contact.

Izumi did her best to keep her breathing even but Itachi's eyes boring into hers were making it hard. His gaze was intense but there was something there that looked like care for her that she wanted so desperately to be real. His gentle hands sliding into place lit her spine of fire and she was finding it more and more difficult to remember that he was taken.

Delicately she released her grip on his hand and slipped out of his arms. Itachi frowned minutely and turned forward to look at Sakura and Sasuke. "Sakura were you paying attention to where my hands were?"

Sakura nodded her head up and down vigorously. Izumi couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's enthusiasm. "Okay, let's see the two of you get into formation!"

Sasuke turned and made eye contact with Sakura before he slowly held out his hand and then settled the two of them into the perfect dancing position. They had already learned a few of the steps separately so now was the time to put that knowledge to good use.

"Perfect! The two of you are pros already. Now, you are going to do the steps that Itachi and I already taught you separately but now together! You'll need to talk to each other in the beginning to remember the steps and such. We'll observe and give pointers if we decide they are necessary. Go for it!"

Sakura let out a squeal and Sasuke rolled his eyes playfully as he cracked a very small smile. The two of them pulled apart and went through the steps together so that they were getting more and more in sync with each other until they were finally dancing in the correct form. Izumi was surprised and honestly a little jealous. How had they managed to get so good so fast?

"They are both brilliant." As if reading her mind Itachi had moved over closer to her side to watch the pair dance. He was impossibly close and Izumi was hyper-aware of him. Every breath and every movement was like an earthquake to her.

"Oh yeah? How did you know I was wondering about them?"

"I think it's safe to say that we've grown pretty close in this last few months. I could see the question clearly on your face. You were wondering why they learned so quickly and are already so good at it."

Izumi was shocked and honestly, a little turned on at the fact that the could read her thoughts so well. "Huh. So, they're brilliant?"

"Oh yeah. Sakura is a special junior apprentice to Tsunade Senju the great doctor and Sasuke is an Uchiha so naturally he has intelligence and a good drive to work hard."

"You sound so proud of him."

Itachi scoffed. "I am not!"

Izumi giggled and nudged him playfully with her elbow. "Uh-huh. You can't full me. You adore your little brother."

Itachi's eyes softened as she turned and continued to watch Sakura and Sasuke continue dancing. They were laughing now as they had started doing crazy extra dance steps and spins. Izumi didn't feel it was important to tell them to stop so she just watched Itachi.

"I do adore my little brother. You are right. And I am proud of him. He has grown up into a fine young man and I am so glad that he is so happy. He was in a dark place for a lot of years and now he has finally come into the light."

Izumi placed her hand gently on Itachi's and he intertwined their fingers and squeezed her hand. Her heart fluttered at the gesture and she had to remind herself that she being comforting. There was no time for romance right now.

"Wait, you said that he's an Uchiha so that automatically makes him intelligent?" Itachi nodded with his brows furrowed. "That must mean that my branch of Uchiha must have missed out on that."

Itachi snorted and started giggling. Soon he was full out laughing and Izumi couldn't keep the giant smile off of her face. He doubled over in laughter but still held onto her hand. Izumi was shocked to see this side of him. He was always so serious and she had doubted he ever really laughed like this. Honestly, her joke wasn't even that funny. She was just trying to keep his mind from wandering to whatever dark things had happened in the past.

Sasuke and Sakura slowly came to a halt as they noticed Itachi's booming laughter ringing through the ballroom. Sasuke's eyes were wide for a few seconds before his face melted into a beautiful smile to match his brothers. Sakura still looked confused but started laughing in spite of herself. Soon everyone was chuckling a little.

Itachi finally calmed down and with his free hand wiped the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. "Oh goodness. I have not laughed like that in my entire life."

"I can honestly say I was shocked to see you laugh that hard. What I said wasn't even that funny."

Itachi smiled at Izumi and she took a deep breath as her heart started to beat wildly. Itachi's smiling face was definitely a beautiful sight. "It was the way you said it. It was like a combination of dejected and mortified. I can;t really describe it but the look on your face was so cute I just couldn't resist laughing."

Izumi's pulse quickened yet again. How was she not dead yet or passing out from the constant change of blood pressure? Had he just said what she thought he had?

Sasuke cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with his brother complimenting a girl in front of him. "Anyway, I think this was enough practice for now. We have to go get ready for the movie tonight. You know how mom has been looking forward to this." Sasuke looked at Itachi seriously for a minute and Itachi nodded in understanding. It was like the two of them were having a conversation that Izumi and Sakura were not privy to.

"Fine. I was tired of teaching anyway. I'll see you two next Friday for another lesson."

Sasuke and Sakura headed out of the ballroom and down the hall. Itachi and Izumi were left standing in the now empty ballroom. "Izumi?"

"Hm?"

"Would you care to take a walk with me outside for a minute? I need to grab something out in the garden."

Izumi nodded a little confused as to why Itachi was asking her to the garden but she relented regardless. I mean, hey, she is in love with the man so any opportunity she could spend with him was golden, right? Izumi sighed. She knew that this would hurt her later but she didn't care at the moment.

Itachi pulled her with him down the hall and out the backdoor. Izumi gasped as she gazed upon the garden. It was huge with various flowers and trees spread out. There was a path wasn't quite clearly defined and there were various gated sections. Some looked like vegetable garden and others looked like they were hiding something. Everything was absolutely beautiful and she could hear the rushing of a brook somewhere but she couldn't see it.

Itachi chuckled as he pulled her farther into the garden. They took the path through winding trees and flowers and finally came upon a gate that was hidden in the ivy. Itachi reached behind the plants and pushed the door open. Inside was a wonderland. There was a small table with four chairs, a wing tied to the branch of a tree, and gorgeous red and yellow flowers everywhere. There were delicate wire butterflies in every color imaginable placed throughout the flowers and there was sunlight streaming through the trees.

"This is absolutely beautiful." Izumi barely spoke above a whisper as she tried to take it all in. They had their own secret garden. How amazing was that?

"Do you really think so? Sasuke and I have been working on this for the last few months. Today is my mother's birthday and were are planning on giving it to her."

Izumi turned from staring at the sky to looking at him. In the sunlight his face absolutely radiated and there was still a trace of his perfect smile from earlier. He was so handsome. "It's perfect. She'll love it."

Itachi let out a breath and smiled the smallest hint of a smile. "Oh thank goodness."

"So, why did you want to show this to me?" Itachi pulled Izumi with him to a bench that she hasn't even seen before hidden in the shade of one of the towering trees. He sat down and she followed. It was only then that she remembered they were holding hands and she blushed as she noticed he finally let go.

"Sasuke and I were discussing how we could gauge if mother would like this place and we decided that you were our best bet. Our mother adores you and you get along so well that we figured if you liked it she would too."

"That makes perfect sense actually. And I'm totally flattered to know that your mother thinks so highly of me." Izumi's heart was spilling over with love. This family was so loving and caring for each other. They had obviously gone through some rough times together and came out even stronger for it. To know that someone so kind and wonderful as Mikoto cared about her and that her sons had done all of this hard work just to show her how much they loved her was amazing. Izumi couldn't help the happy tears that slowly fell from her eyes.

"Izumi? Are you all right?" Itachi turned toward her and gently wiped away her tears with his right hand.

Izumi nodded and smiled. "Yeah, there's just so much love in this place. It's so tangible and it was a little overwhelming."

"Well that is a good thing."

Itachi allowed Izumi a minute to compose herself and get her tears to stop before he spoke again. "So tonight my mother is making us go to this sing along movie. She'd been talking about it for the last few months and we all agreed to go. Afterwards we are going to give her the key to the garden. Do you want to come with us?"

Izumi bit her tongue from already saying yes. She really wanted to go but she didn't want to interfere or step on anybody's toes by showing up when she was just a tutor. "Who all is going?" She tried to ask the question innocently enough and Itachi didn't seem to pick up on anything out of the ordinary.

"Me, Megumi, Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Obito, Shisui, and my parents."

"Who's Shisui?"

Itachi tensed a small amount but then chuckled. "I was actually hoping the two of you would never meet. You know what? Invitation retracted."

"What? Oh, that's it. I'm for sure coming."

"Fine, just for that you can wrap the key."

"It's not my mother's birthday."

"Touche."

Izumi chuckled as she stood up and Itachi followed her as she skipped around the garden a few times before they headed out. He wouldn't help but watch her every movement. Her long, brown hair was captivating as it caught the sunlight. What was he thinking? He shook his head and walked faster to catch up with her.